Denial
by Ariels Lament
Summary: This is wrong. It's cruel, even. It's everything the Phantom Thieves should stand against. So it only makes sense that the whole thing was instigated by that dumb ape Ryuji.


_**A/N: Ummm...I don't really know what to say about this.**_

 ** _I love cats?_**

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This is wrong. It's cruel, even. It's everything the Phantom Thieves should stand against.

So it only makes sense that the whole thing was instigated by that dumb ape Ryuji.

But their friends— _Morgana's_ friends—are just sitting around letting it happen.

Morgana's frozen stiff, muscles tensed and ready to act, and a single paw twitches. He can't look away from the injustice taking place before him, no matter how much he wants to, and all he can feel towards the merciless brute is disgust. This atrocity is unjustified. Undignified. The lowest of all low blows. But Morgana is powerless to put an end to it. His nose twitches, his tail gives a traitorous flick, and finally after what must have amounted to hours of agony, he lets out a pitiful whine.

"Ryuji. Leave Morgana alone already. We're supposed to be studying."

His hopes rise. At last! Blessed angel that she is, Lady Ann has finally come to his rescue. He vows to make it up her one day. Once he's back in his true form, of course. Ryuji turns to look at her, his actions ceasing, and Morgana can finally breathe again. Even so, he can't quite tear his eyes away.

"Oh, hell no. You think after how much of a dick he was to me in Mementos the other day I'm just gonna let it slide? No way, man. I'm out for blood." Then he turns back to Morgana with that Cheshire grin in place. There's nothing Morgana would desire more than to claw it from Ryuji's stupid face.

"I do have claws, you know," he warns, but rather than the threatening tone he was aiming for, the words come out as a pout. It's a bluff anyways. Much as he would love to make good on the threat, he doesn't trust himself to not get distracted and miss his intended target. As if he can read Morgana's thoughts, that demonic smirk only grows wider.

"I can do this all day long."

Morgana's ears flatten against his head, eyes entranced once more by Ryui's cruelty. Despite the blond's natural impatience, Morgana doesn't doubt the statement for a second. He can't let Ryuji win, though. He can't succumb to this unnatural desire, no matter how strong it is. He isn't—h-he's—he's not some mangy feline they picked up off the street, dammit! He is a human being, and he demands to be treated as such!

If only he could look away...

His whiskers shiver in anticipation, the muscles in his shoulders and legs coiling an uncoiling as he fights the false instinct to pounce. But those fake, shimmery scales catch the late afternoon light and glitter like treasure, the feathery tail fin fluttering in the most alluring way as Ryuji waves the stupid toy side to side. He can't ignore it.

He wants to...he _needs_ to make it stop. To rip it from the teen's grasp. Drag it far, far away from prying eyes and just...scratch and gnaw and roll around, rejoicing in his successful hunt...

Wait! No! That's not what he wants at all! He just wants to get rid of it and stop Ryuji's incessant teasing. Morgana crouches, swishes his tail, and growls.

It gives Ryuji pause for a second. His eyebrows raise in surprise before his grin reappears full force, and he redoubles his efforts. There's a tinkling laugh off to the side, and Lady Ann says, "You know, I feel kinda bad. But this is actually pretty funny to watch."

"No, Lady Ann," he whines, still unable to pry his eyes from the toy fish. "It's not funny at all. He's torturing me. And you two are just watching like you don't care!"

"Eh, I'm just havin' fun with you," his tormentor says, but that shark tooth grin belies the innocence in his voice.

"But _I'm_ not," Morgana tries again. "I'm not having fun. Ren, you'll save me, won't you? We've been through so much together. Please, make it stop."

Only silence follows Morgana's plea, however. It seems even his most trusted ally has forsaken him.

"He really loves it when you scratch under his chin."

The pole holding the fish comes to a jerky stop. Morgana's eyes close as it bops him on the nose, and the spell is finally broken.

"For real?!"

It takes a moment for Ren's words to sink in.

"Betrayal!" He cries out, jumping back to all fours with his fur standing on end. Ren appears wholly unapologetic. "We were confidants! I trusted you with sensitive information, and you just sold me out to the enemy!"

Lady Ann hides a silent laugh behind one hand, and Ren rolls his eyes until they fall back to his homework. "Nobody here is the enemy," is all he has to say for himself.

"What in the world is going on up here? I can hear the cat all the way downstairs, even with the TV on."

"Chief!" Morgana bounds over to the staircase as Ryuji offers up a sheepish, "Sorry, Boss. Was just playin' around with Morgana."

"Well, cut it out, will you?" The chief says, and Morgana instantly rewards his savior by purring and rubbing against his ankles. He reaches down to scratch Morgana behind the ears, and Morgana purrs even louder. At least someone around here loves and appreciates him. "It's not good for business when it sounds like a cat is being skinned alive in the attic."

Well. That's okay. Morgana knows how he really feels. Leaping up to rest his front paws on the chief's knee, he nuzzles further into the offered hand.

"Don't leave me up here, Chief. They're all so mean to me. Ryuji keeps treating me like a cat! But I'm not a cat..."

Behind him, there's a scoff and something that sounds suspiciously like, "You are a damn cat," but he ignores it in favor of appealing to the chief's kinder nature. There's a feeling of victory when he leans down to take Morgana into his arms, and Morgana makes himself comfortable. Maybe, just this once, he'll be allowed downstairs before closing time. There's the perfect little nook under the counter that would allow him to people watch while staying within scratching distance of the chief and keeping out of sight of any customers. A hand goes back to its ministrations behind his ears, and Morgana closes his eyes in content.

"The little guy sure is affectionate today, isn't he?" The chief takes a step. To Morgana's horror, it isn't one that leads the two of them down to the cafe, but one that takes them even deeper into the attic. Where Morgana ends up deposited into enemy arms with one final pat on the head.

"W-wait! You can't leave me here!" His attempt to leap from Ryuji's lap only causes the boy's arms to wrap around him more securely. The chief only brushes off his shirt and apron before heading back down the way he came.

"Now get back to studying and keep it down. Or you three will have to find somewhere else to go for homework." His voice is stern, but when he turns to look at the four of them, his expression softens. "I'll be back up in a bit with some snacks for you kids."

With that, he takes his leave among a chorus of thank yous. Morgana sullenly watches his head bob out of sight when an errant thumb brushes over his cheek. Eyes closing, he melts into the feeling. His muscles relax and he presses closer, the beginnings of a blissful purr rumbling deep in his belly.

That is, until he remembers just whose thumb is brushing against his face.

Morgana's eyes fly open, and he bristles. He's just waiting for Ryuji's taunting remarks. He'll take a swipe at him, if he has to. But Ryuji seems to have forgotten his earlier torture routine. Thumb still running idly through Morgana's fur, he turns to the other two with a sigh. "Fine. Guess it's time to actually get serious about the stupid homework."

Lady Ann's already staring down at her notebook, pencil tapping against the paper and brow furrowed. Ren, on the other hand, is looking right at him with a satisfied smile. If Morgana's fur could flush from embarrassment, he'd look like some sort of weird, furry lobster creature. He breaks eye contact immediately.

"Alright, furball," Ryuji says. He releases his hold on Morgana. It's nowhere near as freeing as he thought it would feel. "I'm done. You're free."

Morgana doesn't move.

"Too bad," he says with a huff. He's careful not to look at anyone as he rests his head on his paws. "I'm already comfortable. You're just going to have to deal with it."

A hand falls on his back, and he tenses, extending his claws into Ryuji's pant leg.

"Whoa, geeze, relax! I'm not moving you, okay?"

The hand rubs down Morgana's back, and he retracts his claws.

This is okay. Even if it is stupid, vulgar Ryuji.

The toy fish glints in his periphery, and he wonders if he can hide it away someplace where even Ren won't be able to find him playing with it later.

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 _ **A/N: I blame the opener/ending in the anime where there's that little shot of Ryuji playing with Morgana with a toy. Also, I just really love Morgana adamantly denying being a cat while he's in the middle of being such a cat. :P**_


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